


Family Flying

by ko_writes



Series: Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Arthur is just arthur, Brotherhood, Brotherly Love, Douglas is not as popular as one might believe, Gen, Hospitalization, Illnesses, Martin has lung issues, Pranks and Practical Jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-01 13:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4021993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ko_writes/pseuds/ko_writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr Prompt: Can you do one where MJN are /really/ a family. Like Carolyn is their mum and the boys are brothers. Thank you!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. April Fools Day in Hospital

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by Itsrachsimpson.
> 
> I can't wait to do more!

   April Fools Day in the Shappey house is a dangerous time. Sugar switched for salt is the mildest prank you'll get; it's her eldest son's favourite day, a day without being punished for pranks.

   It's good if Arthur helps, the child tends to ruin them. Thank God.

   If Martin helps, even if the boy's feeling fragile, they are an unstoppable force of evil. Carolyn tries to comfort herself, she tells herself it's a hyperbole; it isn't.

   Oh well, Martin was sick (again), so he should be unable to participate that year.

* * *

 

   "Ready, my dear brother?" Douglas asked with a Cheshire cat grin as he crouched down next to Martin, who was hiding behind the kitchen units.

   Martin coughed quickly into his handkerchief and nodded, "I did all the calculations, and the trajectory should be perfect."

   "And that's why you're the egg-head and I'm the dashing schemer," Douglas smirked, gently rubbing his sickly brother's back to help with the coughing.

   "Vain, pompous, know-it-all schemer, more like," Martin mumbled.

   "If you weren't still sick, I'd take you down," Douglas stated.

   "Douglas, I'm always sick," Martin huffed, crossing his arms.

   "Martin, what I'm going to say to you now is -"

   "Boys?" Carolyn called as she entered the kitchen cautiously, "Arthur, Douglas; it's time for breakfast!"

   Martin wasn't supposed to leave his room, so she'd bring him breakfast in bed after witless and scruple-less were settled for the morning.

   She didn't notice the red cross of masking tape on the floor until the declaration of "Fire!!!" from Douglas.

   Splat!

   "Douglas!" Carolyn roared, "This is awful, even for you!"

   Carolyn swiped the cream filling of the pie out of her eyes and caught movement behind the units, coupled with strong giggles and gasp-y weak ones. Of course, Martin wouldn't be able to miss it for one year.

   Carolyn strode over to the two boys, heels clacking on the tiled floor. "Martin, you're supposed to be in bed," she chastened, "And Douglas, you _actually_ built a cartoon-esque pie launcher?"

   "Martin helped," Douglas chortled, but then the mood sobered when Martin's weak laugh turned into gasps, "Martin?"

   "C-can't breathe..." The ginger boy choked out.

   "It's alright, Martin," Douglas soothed as he stroked Martin's back, his brother launching into a coughing fit.

   "I'll phone an ambulance," Carolyn informed before running into the living room to dial 999.

   While she was gone, Douglas rubbed and patted Martin's back, but the coughing wouldn't stop. "Martin, I need you to calm down, ok?" Douglas instructed.

   "C-can't," Martin gritted out.

   "Yes you can," Douglas soothed before turning away, "Mum! I think we need O2! And bring Gertie! There aren't any traps in Martin or Arthur's room, don't worry!"

   Carolyn hung up. "Ambulance will be here in five minutes!" Carolyn called back, then rushed to get what her twelve year old son asked for; the small 'just in case' canister of oxygen from Martin's room and then the stuffed toy plane currently in Arthur's room.

   "Mum?!"

   "I'm coming Douglas!" She called back.

   Carolyn ran into the kitchen, "There we are, dear," She soothed as she kneeled in front of her middle child. She put the mask over Martin's face and the toy in his hands.

   Martin stroked the fabric, his lungs rejoicing at the increased oxygen and the coughing dying down.

   "Very good, Cap'n," Douglas mock saluted.

   "Douglas," Carolyn warned, "You're doing well Martin, the ambulance will be here soon."

   "Mum? Douglas? Martin?" A small voice came from off the side.

   "Arthur, Martin's got to go to hospital," Douglas explained.

   "Didn't Skip already go to hospital?" Arthur squeaked, "Is he going to die?"

   Martin's eyes almost popped out of his head at the thought.

   "No, Arthur, Martin isn't going to die," Carolyn said firmly and the ginger boy nodded.

   "Why don't you look out of the window and tell us when the ambulance is here?" Douglas suggested and Arthur ran off to do as he was told.

* * *

 

   They had let Arthur and Douglas ride with Martin while Carolyn followed as close as she could in the car.

   Martin had gotten his breath back a little more by the time the paramedics had come, but he still needed to be taken to hospital.

   "So, how's school?" One of the paramedics asked.

   "Alright," Douglas shrugged, he didn't see a need to talk to these people while his little brother was feeling awful, or at least looked it.

   "Brilliant!" Arthur enthused, "Miss said I'm the best painter in my class!"

   "So you're going to be an artist when you're older, eh?" The paramedic smiled.

   "Well, I want to be a pilot... but you need to be really smart, like skip and Douglas," Arthur frowned, but then brightened, "But Douglas said I could be a steward!"

   "That's good," The paramedic smiled and Douglas rolled his eyes, "How about you?"

   "No idea," Douglas waved away, "But I do keep thinking either doctor or pilot."

* * *

 

   Carolyn followed the ambulance nervously. What if something went wrong? Granted, she did tend to worry about Martin a lot; what with the boy's dodgy lungs and scrawny physique.

   Gordon didn't much like her middle son, saying "he's not mine, he was obviously that drip Ian's". If that bastard had given Martin half a chance while growing up, he might have liked the boy. 

   Douglas loved him all the same, whether Martin was Gordon's or his dad's. They were both 'Knapp-Shappey' like her because Gordon made her put Martin's name as Knapp-Shappey as soon as he saw the ginger baby being put in the incubator with the declaration that his lungs were fragile.

   Arthur didn't know that there was a chance Martin was a Knapp and not a Shappey, but Arthur was only seven and more than likely wouldn't care if he knew.

   "Please, God, be alright Martin..."


	2. Bedside thoughts from DKS

   "Arthur, what are you doing?" Douglas questioned, seeing his little brother stare up at Martin's beating heart monitor.

   "That's Skip's heart, Douglas! It's Brilliant!" Arthur enthused, not looking away from it.

   Martin, now fully conscious, reached for the mask that was still covering his mouth and nose, but Douglas slapped it away. "Don't make me superglue it to your face, you need to keep it on," The eldest boy remarked and Martin rolled his eyes.

   "'M fi-"

   "Martin, don't talk either," Douglas instructed, "We expect you to lay there, rest and hopefully get better; and don't you dare start worrying about your school work, Mrs Dixon can come here."

 _That's what's good about being home-schooled by tutors_ , Douglas thought, but didn't say. Martin was too fragile to go to school, with all the germs and infections and other snot-nosed brats who went there; Douglas found himself jealous of Martin sometimes, but only when he'd had a bad day.

   Unlike what his family believed, Douglas certainly wasn't popular. He wasn't playing football or rugby, he wasn't the class-clown, he wasn't doing this or that. No, he was the guy who was in the drama club and was maybe a little too much into anime and manga. He was shoved against walls, verbally attacked; he could give as good as he got, but kept his mouth closed and his hands by his side.

   Going to school wouldn't agree with Martin, anyway - the boy, in his healthier moments, had the famous red-head temper. Douglas and Arthur had never been on the receiving end, and their mother only got a few slammed doors and maybe a curse or two; but they had all witnessed it in full force.

   Halloween a few years ago was like any other; all three dressed up and ready to go trick or treating, Martin could actually go to. This was back before Douglas became a fanboy supremo, so he went as Hamlet, Martin was a pilot (of course), and Arthur was in a polar-bear onesie. He'd just opened the door when some ~~hooligans~~ some of his peers decided to egg the house, getting the disgusting goo on his pristine costume that he'd spent almost the whole year making. Martin had stormed out ahead, grabbed the hose, and given the brats the cold shower of their lives before tearing them down verbally and almost giving himself a fit. Carolyn had nodded her approval and let Martin eat almost all his sweets that night.

   Douglas snapped out of his reverie when Carolyn came into the ward looking apprehensive. But there Martin was, in the hospital bed and looking ok.

   Martin reached for the mask and Douglas slapped his hand again. "I said _no_ ," The eldest chastened, using the same tone Carolyn did when barking a command, "I will follow through with gluing it to your face, don't think I won't."

   Carolyn hid a chuckle behind her hand, seeing everything was fine. "Same as ever, I see," She commented and Douglas went into has rant about how his brothers should listen to him because he was older and wiser, nothing anyone hadn't heard from him before.

   Carolyn often reflected how Douglas and Martin had grown up far too fast. Douglas had gone from her little boy to a mature young man, in the emotional sense, in little time after seeing his tiny brother in an incubator. Martin had just been born with the mental age of twenty five; his illness isolating him from a lot of childhood fun and friends; but Douglas and he could always act like children if they wanted to, and she could feel better about that, even if her new blouse was ruined.

* * *

 

   A few hours later, they were told they could go home and were ordered to make sure Martin rested.

   The three boys were in the back of the car; Martin in the middle, Arthur on the left, Douglas on the right and a blanket draped over the three. Martin and Arthur were already asleep, Arthur leaning on Martin and Martin leaning on Douglas; Douglas was still awake, reading on his phone.

   "You're going to get me a new top for my birthday," Carolyn informed, and Douglas' head snapped up, "This one is definitely ruined."

   Douglas smirked, warmth in his young face, "Of course, sir."

   "Watch it," She chuckled, she did love her little family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's sweet, or at least I hope it is; apologies for any cavities ;)


End file.
